New Likud MK Aleli Admasu sworn in

MK Aleli Admasu (Likud) was sworn in on Monday afternoon, marking the first time there are two Ethiopian MKs at the same time.

Admasu is replacing Minister Without Portfolio Yossi Peled, who resigned in September.

The other Ethiopian immigrant in the 18th Knesset is MK Shlomo Molla (Kadima).

“What are the chances that someone born to a family of 11 children in a small Ethiopian village would be standing here?” Admasu asked, in his first and last speech to the 18th Knesset.

The new Likud MK added that he hopes to represent his party in the 19th Knesset, as well.Admasu is considered an MK until after the next Knesset is sworn in, in over three months. As such, he is not the MK with the shortest term ever; that honor belongs to Labor’s Effi Oshaya, who resigned hours after he was sworn in.

Admasu, 50, is a father of seven from Rishon Lezion who made aliya from Ethiopia in 1983. During his IDF service, he participated in Operation Solomon, which brought over 14,000 Ethiopian immigrants to Israel. He worked for the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry for 14 years in training Ethiopian immigrants for employment. Admesu also served as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s adviser on the Ethiopian community.